Heart valve prosthesis and methods of manufacture and use

ABSTRACT

A heart valve prosthesis is provided having a self-expanding multi-level frame that supports a valve body comprising a skirt and plurality of coapting leaflets. The frame transitions between a contracted delivery configuration that enables percutaneous transluminal delivery, and an expanded deployed configuration having an asymmetric hourglass shape. The valve body skirt and leaflets are constructed so that the center of coaptation may be selected to reduce horizontal forces applied to the commissures of the valve, and to efficiently distribute and transmit forces along the leaflets and to the frame. Alternatively, the valve body may be used as a surgically implantable replacement valve prosthesis.

This application is a Continuation of and claims the benefit of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/072,194 filed Mar. 25, 2011, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,226,710; which claims priority from Continuation applicationSer. No. 11/128,826 filed May 13, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,914,569,issued Mar. 29, 2011. The disclosures of which are herein incorporatedin their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to replacement valves for improving thecardiac function of a patient suffering from cardiac valve dysfunction,such as aortic valve regurgitation or aortic stenosis. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to heart valve prosthesesthat provide improved durability and are particularly well-suited forpercutaneous delivery.

2. Background of the Invention

Heart valve replacement has become a routine surgical procedure forpatients suffering from valve regurgitation or stenotic calcification ofthe leaflets. While certain procedures may be performed usingminimally-invasive techniques (so-called “keyhole” techniques), the vastmajority of valve replacements entail full sternotomy and placing thepatient on cardiopulmonary bypass. Traditional open surgery inflictssignificant patient trauma and discomfort, requires extensiverecuperation times and may result in life-threatening complications.

To address these concerns, within the last decade efforts have been madeto perform cardiac valve replacements using minimally-invasivetechniques. In these methods, laparascopic instruments are employed tomake small openings through the patient's ribs to provide access to theheart. While considerable effort has been devoted to such techniques,widespread acceptance has been limited by the clinician's ability toaccess only certain regions of the heart using laparoscopic instruments.

Still other efforts have been focused on percutaneous transluminaldelivery of replacement cardiac valves to solve the problems presentedby traditional open surgery and minimally-invasive surgical methods. Insuch methods; a valve prosthesis is compacted for delivery in a catheterand then advanced, for example, through an opening in the femoral arteryand through the descending aorta to the heart, where the prosthesis thenis deployed in the aortic valve annulus. Although transluminaltechniques have attained widespread acceptance with respect to deliveryof stents to restore vessel patency, only mixed results have beenobtained with respect to percutaneous delivery of relatively morecomplicated valve prostheses.

One such example of a previously-known device heart valve prosthesis isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,799 to Schreck. The prosthesisdescribed in that patent comprises a fabric-based heart valve disposedwithin a plastically deformable wire-mesh base, and is delivered viaexpansion of a balloon catheter. One drawback with balloon catheterdelivery of the prosthetic valve is that the valve leaflets may bedamaged when compressed between the balloon and the base duringdeployment. In addition, because balloon expandable structures tend toexperience some recoil following balloon deflation, perivalvular leaksmay develop around the circumference of the valve prosthesis.

Accordingly it would be desirable to provide apercutaneously-deliverable valve prosthesis that reduces the risk ofleaflet damage during deployment of the prosthesis. It further would be.desirable to provide a valve prosthesis that reduces the risk ofperivalvular leaks resulting from recoil of the prosthesis followingdeployment.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,525 to Suh, et al. describes a valve prosthesiscomprising a series of self-expanding units affixed to a polymeric coverand having a valve disposed therein. Such devices are not suitable forcardiac valve replacement because of the limited ability to compact thevalve disposed within the prosthesis. Moreover, such valve prostheseswould be particularly undesirable for treating aortic valve defects,because the polymeric cover would obscure the ostia of the coronaryarteries, both disrupting blood flow to the coronary arteries andpreventing subsequent catheterization of those arteries. Accordingly, itwould be desirable to provide a valve prosthesis that is self-expanding,yet permits the valve to be compacted to a greater degree thanpreviously-known designs.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,559 to Myers, et al. also describes a valveprosthesis having an essentially tubular design. One drawback of suchconfigurations is that relatively large horizontal forces arise alongthe coaptation edges of the leaflets and are transmitted to thecommissural points. These forces may adversely affect the durability ofthe leaflets and lead to valve failure. In view of this, it would bedesirable to provide a valve wherein the center of coaptation of theleaflets may be selected so as to reduce horizontal forces applied tocoaptation edges of the leaflets and commissural points, therebyimproving durability of the valve. In addition, it would be desirable toprovide a valve design that more uniformly distributes horizontal forcesover the coaptation edges of the leaflets, rather than concentratingthose forces at the commissural points.

In an effort to more nearly recreate the force distribution along theleaflets of natural tissue valves, some previously-known valve designsinclude circular base portions having longitudinal projections thatfunction as anchors for the commissural points, such as described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,855,601 to Bessler, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,462to Andersen, et al.

While the valve prostheses of Bessler and Andersen may be readilycollapsed for delivery, those designs are susceptible to problems oncedeployed. For example, the longitudinal projections of such prosthesesmay not provide sufficient rigidity to withstand compressive forcesapplied during normal movements of the heart. Deformation of thecommissural anchors may result in varied forces being imposed on thecommissures and leaflets, in turn adversely impact functioning of theleaflets. In addition, because the exteriors of the foregoing valveprostheses are substantially cylindrical, the prostheses are less likelyto adequately conform to, and become anchored within the valve annulusanatomy during deployment. As a result, cyclic loading of the valve mayresult in some slippage or migration of the anchor relative to thepatient's anatomy.

In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a valve thatis capable of conforming to a patient's anatomy while providing auniform degree of rigidity and protection for critical valve components.It therefore would be desirable to provide a valve prosthesis havingportions that are capable of deforming circumferentially to adapt to theshape of the pre-existing valve annulus, but which is not susceptible todeformation or migration due to normal movement of the heart. Stillfurther, it would be desirable to provide a valve prosthesis having amulti-level component that is anatomically shaped when deployed, therebyenhancing anchoring of the valve and reducing the risk of migration andperivalvular leaks.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a valve prosthesis that overcomes the drawbacks ofpreviously-known designs, and which may be implanted using opensurgical, minimally invasive or percutaneous implantation techniques.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide apercutaneously-deliverable valve prosthesis that reduces the risk ofleaflet damage during deployment of the prosthesis.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a valve prosthesisthat reduces the risk of perivalvular leaks resulting from elasticrecoil of the prosthesis following deployment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a valveprosthesis that is self-expanding, yet permits the valve to be compactedto a greater degree than previously-known designs and permits readyaccess to adjoining anatomical structures, such as the coronaryarteries.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a valvein which the center of coaptation of the leaflets may be selected so asto reduce horizontal forces applied to coaptation edges of the leafletsand commissural points, thereby improving durability of the valve.

In addition, it is an object of this invention to provide a valve designthat more uniformly distributes forces over the coaptation edges of theleaflets, rather than concentrating those forces at the commissuralpoints.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a valve that isanatomically shaped, provides a uniform high degree of rigidity andprotection for critical valve components, and which is less susceptibleto deformation arising from normal movement of the heart.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve prosthesishaving portions that are capable of deforming circumferentially to adaptto the shape of the pre-existing valve annulus, but which is notsusceptible to deformation or migration due to normal movement of theheart.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a valve prosthesishaving a multi-level component that is anatomically shaped whendeployed, thereby enhancing anchoring of the valve and reducing the riskof migration and perivalvular leaks.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a valveprosthesis wherein a valve is disposed within a rigid portion of amultilevel frame, so that valve area and function are not impaired, butinflow and/or outflow portions of the multilevel frame are capable ofconforming to patient anatomy anomalies.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a valveprosthesis that facilitates alignment of the heart valve prosthesis withthe direction of blood flow.

These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished byproviding a heart valve prosthesis wherein a self-expanding multi-levelframe supports a valve body comprising a skirt and plurality of coaptingleaflets. The frame has a contracted delivery configuration, in whichthe prosthesis may be stored within a catheter for percutaneousdelivery, and an expanded deployed configuration having an asymmetrichourglass shape. The valve body skirt and leaflets preferably areconstructed of porcine, bovine, equine or other mammalian tissue, suchas pericardial tissue, and are sewn, welded, molded or glued together soas to efficiently distribute forces along the leaflets and to the frame.Alternatively, the valve body may comprise a synthetic or polymericmaterial.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the framecomprises multiple levels, including a proximal conical inflow section,a constriction region and a flared distal outflow section. Each of theinflow and outflow sections is capable of deforming to a non-circularcross-section to conform to the patient's anatomy, while theconstriction region is configured to retain a circular cross-sectionthat preserves proper functioning of the valve body.

The frame comprises a plurality of cells having a pattern that variesalong the length of the frame to provide a high degree of anchoring andalignment of the valve prosthesis. The cell pattern further is selectedto provide a uniform diameter where the commissural joints of theleaflets are attached to the frame, while permitting the inflow andoutflow regions to expand to conform to the patient's anatomy. In thismanner, optimal functioning of the valve body may be obtained eventhough the frame may be deployed in anatomies having a range of sizes.In addition, the frame resists deformation caused by movement of theheart and enables a functional portion of the valve body to be disposedsupra-annularly to the native valve, with a portion of the valveprosthesis extending into the native valve annulus.

In one embodiment suitable for aortic valve replacement, the valve bodycomprises a skirt coupled to three leaflets. Each of the componentspreferably is formed of animal pericardial tissue or synthetic material,and then sewn, glued, welded or molded together. The lateral ends of theleaflets include enlarged regions that are folded to both form thecommissural joints and fasten the commissural joints to the frame. Theskirt and leaflets further are configured so that the joints align withcontours of the cell pattern of the frame.

In a preferred embodiment, the commissural joints are affixed to theframe at locations above the area of coaptation, to provide a selectablecenter of coaptation of the leaflets. This design provides a moreefficient delivery configuration because the commissures are notcompressed against the leaflets when the valve prosthesis is reduced tothe contracted delivery configuration. Additionally, by lengthening thedistance to the commissures, the design mimics the functioning ofnatural tissue valves by distributing forces along the coaptation edgesand reducing horizontal forces transmitted to the commissural joints.

In alternative embodiments, the valve body of the present invention mayinclude a sewing ring in lieu of the frame to facilitate surgicalimplantation, and may employ as few as two and as many as four leaflets.

Methods of making and using the valve prostheses of the presentinvention are also provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are, respectively, side and top end views of anexemplary valve prosthesis of the present invention in the expandeddeployed configuration and an enlarged region of the frame of the valveprosthesis;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the frame of the valve prosthesis of FIG. 1 ina contracted delivery configuration;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are, respectively, plan views of a leaflet and the skirtemployed in the valve body of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are, respectively, a perspective view of a leaflet withits enlarged regions folded, and a plan view of the valve body of thepresent invention, wherein the leaflets are fastened to the skirt;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the valve body of FIG. 4B fully assembled; and

FIG. 6 is a side view depicting the valve prosthesis of the presentinvention deployed atop a patient's aortic valve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a heart valve prothesis having aself-expanding frame that supports a valve body. In a preferredembodiment, the frame has a tri-level asymmetric hourglass shape with aconical proximal section, an enlarged distal section and a constrictionregion having a predefined curvature when the frame is deployed. In thecontext of the present application, the proximal section constitutes the“inflow” portion of the valve prosthesis and is disposed in the aorticannulus of the patient's left ventricle, while the distal sectionconstitutes the “outflow” portion of the valve prosthesis and ispositioned in the patient's ascending aorta.

In a preferred embodiment the valve body comprises three leaflets thatare fastened together at enlarged lateral end regions to formcommissural joints, with the unattached edges forming the coaptationedges of the valve. The leaflets are fastened to a skirt, which is inturn affixed to the frame. The enlarged lateral end regions of theleaflets permit the material to be folded over to enhance durability ofthe valve and reduce stress concentration points that could lead tofatigue or tearing of the leaflets. The commissural joints are mountedabove the plane of the coaptation edges of the valve body to minimizethe contracted delivery profile of the valve prosthesis, while theconfiguration of the edges permits uniform stress distribution along thecoaptation edges.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a valve prosthesisconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present inventionis described. Valve prosthesis 10 comprises expandable frame 12 havingvalve body 14 affixed to its interior surface, e.g., by sutures. Frame12 preferably comprises a self-expanding structure formed by lasercutting or etching a metal alloy tube comprising, for example, stainlesssteel or a shape memory material such as nickel titanium. The frame hasan expanded deployed configuration which is impressed upon the metalalloy tube using techniques that are per se known in the art. Valve body14 preferably comprises individual leaflets assembled to a skirt, whereall of the components are formed from a natural or man-made material.Preferred materials for valve body 14 include mammalian tissue, such asporcine, equine or bovine pericardium, or a synthetic or polymericmaterial.

Frame 12 preferable includes multiple levels, including outflow section15, inflow section 16 and constriction region 17. As depicted in theenlarged view of FIG. 1B, the frame comprises a plurality of cellshaving sizes that vary along the length of the prosthesis. As indicatedby dotted lines a, band c, each cell comprises two zig-zag structureshaving unequal-length struts, wherein the vertices of the zig-zags arecoupled together. For example, zig-zag 18 has length z₁ whereas zig-zag19 has greater length Z₂. This cell design permits each level of cellsbetween the proximal and distal ends of the frame to be tailored to meetspecific design requirements, such as, compressibility, expansioncharacteristics, radial strength and so as to define a suitable contourfor attachment of the valve body.

The cell pattern of frame 12 also enables the frame to expand to thetri-level asymmetric hourglass shape depicted in FIG. IA, having conicalinflow section, enlarged outflow section and fixed diameter constrictedregion. Each section of frame 12 has a substantially circularcross-section in the expanded deployed configuration, but in additionthe cell patterns of the inflow and outflow sections permit thosesections to adapt to the specific anatomy of the patient, therebyreducing the risk of migration and reducing the risk of perivalvularleaks. The cell patterns employed in the constriction region areselected to provide a uniform circular cross-section area for theconstriction region when deployed, and a pre-determined radius ofcurvature for the transition between the constriction region and outflowsection of the frame. In particular, the convex-concave shape of frame12 within the constriction region ensures that the frame is held awayfrom the opposing sinus wall in the ascending aorta, thus ensuringadequate blood flow to the coronary arteries and facilitating catheteraccess to the coronary arteries.

Enlarged outflow section has nominal deployed diameter D_(o), inflowsection has nominal deployed diameter D_(l), and constriction region hasdeployed substantially fixed diameter D_(c). The conical shape of theinflow region and smooth transitions between adjacent sections of frame12 are expected to be particularly advantageous in directing blood flowthrough the valve body with little or no turbulence, as compared to stepchanges in diameter observed for surgically implanted replacementvalves.

The above-described cell pattern permits each of the inflow and outflowsections of frame 12 to expand to a diameter within a range of deployeddiameters, while retaining constriction region 17 at a substantiallyconstant diameter. Thus, for example, outflow diameter D_(o) may rangefrom 30 to 55 mm, while inflow diameter D_(l) may vary from 19 to 34 mm.Illustratively, frame 12 may be manufactured in four sizes having arange of diameters D_(o), D_(l) and D_(c) as set forth in Table 1 below:

TABLE 1 Size A Size B Size C Size D D_(o) 40 mm 50 mm 40 mm 50 mm D_(c)22 mm 22 mm 24 mm 24 mm D_(l) 26 mm 26 mm 29 mm 29 mm

Advantageously, these four frame sizes are expected to cover a widerange of patient anatomies, while requiring construction of only twosizes of valve bodies (22 and 24 mm). Compared to previously-knowncommercially available surgical valves, which vary from approximately 17mm to 31 mm in one millimeter increments, it is expected that the abovefour sizes of valve prosthesis of the present invention could be usedfor more than 75% of the patient population, thus greatly 20 reducingthe costs associated with manufacturing and inventorying large numbersof parts.

When configured as a replacement for an aortic valve, inflow section 16extends into and anchors within the aortic annulus of a patient's leftventricle and 25 outflow section 15 is positioned in the patient'sascending aorta. Importantly, the configuration of outflow section 15 isexpected to provide optimal alignment of the valve body with thedirection of blood flow. In addition, the cell pattern of outflowsection 15 also serves to anchor the outflow section in the patient'sascending aorta to prevent lateral movement or migration of frame 12. Asdepicted in FIG. 1C, the use of relatively larger cells in the outflowsection of frame 12, combined with the convex-concave shape ofconstriction region 17, ensures that the frame does not obstruct bloodflow to the patient's coronary arteries when deployed and allows forcatheter access to the coronary arteries. Frame 12 also may includeeyelets 20 for use in loading the heart valve prosthesis 10 into adelivery catheter.

Still referring to FIG. 1, valve body 14 includes skirt 21 affixed toframe 12, and leaflets 22. Leaflets 22 are attached along their bases toskirt 21, for example, using sutures 23 or a suitable biocompatibleadhesive. Adjoining pairs of leaflets are attached to one another attheir lateral ends to form commissures 24, with free edges 25 of theleaflets forming coaptation edges that meet in area of coaptation 26.

As depicted in FIG. 1A, the curve formed at joint 27 between the base ofeach leaflet 22 and skirt 21 follows the contour of the cell pattern offrame 12, so that most of the length of joint 27 is directly supportedby frame 12, thereby transmitting forces applied to the valve bodydirectly to the frame. As further depicted in FIG. 1C, commissures 24are configured to span a cell of frame 12, so that force is evenlydistributed within the commissures and to frame 12.

Referring to FIG. 2, valve prosthesis 10 is shown in the contracteddelivery configuration. In this state, valve prosthesis may be loadedinto a catheter for percutaneous transluminal delivery via a femoralartery and the descending aorta to a patient's aortic valve. Inaccordance with one aspect of the present invention, commissures 24 aredisposed longitudinally offset from coaptation edges 25 of the valvebody, thereby permitting a smaller delivery profile than achievable withpreviously-known replacement valves. In addition, because frame 12self-expands upon being released from the delivery catheter, there is noneed to use a balloon catheter during placement of valve prosthesis 10,thereby avoiding the potential for inflicting compressive injury to thevalve leaflets during inflation of the balloon.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, skirt 21 and leaflet 22 of a preferredaortic valve embodiment of the present invention are described. Skirt 21and leaflet 22 preferably are cut from a sheet of animal pericardialtissue, such as porcine pericardial tissue, or synthetic or polymericmaterial, either manually or using a die or laser cutting system. Thepericardial tissue may be processed in accordance with tissue processingtechniques that are per se known in the art for forming and treatingtissue valve material. Alternatively, skirt 21 and leaflet 22 may beconstructed on a synthetic or polymeric material. In a preferredembodiment, skirt 21 and leaflets 22 have a thickness of between 0.008″and 0.016″, and more preferably between 0.012″ and 0.014″.

Leaflet 22 includes enlarged lateral ends 30 and 31 disposed at eitherend of free edge 32, and body 33. Free edge 32 forms coaptation edge 25of the finished valve body 14, while lateral ends 30 and 31 are foldedand joined to adjacent leaflets to form commissures 24. In accordancewith one aspect of the present invention, free edges 32 assume the formof catenaries when the valve body is affixed to frame 12, therebyproviding uniform loading along the length of the coaptation edge in amanner similar to a suspension bridge. Body 33 is joined to skirt 21 asdescribed below. Lateral ends 30 and 31 illustratively are shown in FIG.3A as having fold lines d, e and f, to define flaps 34, 35 and 36.

Skirt 21 preferably is constructed from the same material as leaflets22, and includes scalloped areas 37, reinforcing tabs 38 and end tabs39. Each scalloped area 37 is joined to a body 33 of a respectiveleaflet 22. Reinforcing tabs 38 illustratively include fold lines g, hand i, except for reinforcing tabs 40 and 41 at the lateral ends of theskirt, which have only one fold apiece. As described below, reinforcingtabs 40 and 41 are joined to one another, e.g., by sutures or gluing, sothat skirt 21 forms a frustum of a cone.

End tabs 39 are folded over the ends of the proximal-most row of cellsof frame 12 to secure skirt 21 to the frame and seal againstperivalvular bypass flows (see FIG. 1A). Because end tabs 39 aredirectly supported by the last zig-zag row of cells of frame 12, thereis no opportunity for an unsupported edge of the skirt to flap orotherwise extend into the flow path along the inflow edge of skirt 21.Thus, the design of the valve prosthesis not only ensures that there areno flaps to disrupt flow or serve as sites for thrombus formation, butalso reduces the risk that hemodynamic flow against such flaps couldcause frame 12 to migrate.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, assembly of valve body 14 from skirt 21and leaflets 22 is described. In FIG. 4A, flap 34 first is folded alongline d. Flap 35 is folded along line e so that it lies atop flap 34,forming seam 42 comprising a triple thickness of the tissue. Flap 36then is folded along line f. Adjoining leaflets 22 then are fastenedtogether along adjacent seams 42, resulting in a leaflet assembly.

Reinforcing tabs 38 are folded along lines g, h and i to form seams 43comprising a double thickness of tissue. Next, the leaflet assembly isattached to skirt 21 along the bottom edges of bodies 33 of the leafletsto form joints 44. At this stage of the assembly, prior to attachingreinforcing tab 40 to 41 and the remaining seam 43 of leaflets 22, thevalve body appears as depicted in FIG. 4B. Reinforcing tabs 40 and 41then are fastened together to form another seam 43 along skirt 21 andthe remaining seam 43 between leaflets 22. Valve body 14 then is readyto be affixed to frame 12.

Referring to FIG. 5, valve body 14 is shown as it would appear whenaffixed to frame 12, but with frame 12 omitted to better illustratewhere the valve body is affixed to the frame. During the step ofaffixing the valve body to the frame, flaps 36 of adjacent leaflets areaffixed, e.g., by sutures, to span a cell of the frame to supportcommissures 24 (compare to FIG. 1B) and end tabs 39 are folded over andaffixed to the proximal-most row of cells of the frame 12 (compare toFIG. 1A). Valve body 14 also is attached to frame 12 along seams 43formed by the reinforcing tabs. Each joint 44 is aligned with andfastened to (e.g., by sutures or glue) to a curved contour defined bythe struts of the cells of frame 12, so that joint 44 is affixed to andsupported by frame 12 over most of the length of the joint. As discussedabove, the configuration of the cells in frame 12 may be specificallycustomized define a curved contour that supports joints 44 of the valvebody.

When completely assembled to frame 12, valve body 14 is affixed to frame12 along the edges of flaps 36 of the commissures, end tabs 39, leafletseams 42, reinforcing tab seams 43 and joints 44. In this manner, forcesimposed on leaflets 22, commissures 24 and joints 44 are efficiently andevenly distributed over the valve body and transferred to frame 12, thusreducing stress concentration and fatigue of the valve body components.Moreover, the use of multiple thicknesses of material along seams 42 and43 is expected to provide a highly durable valve body which will lastfor many years once implanted in a patient.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the centerof coaptation of leaflets 22 is a distance L below the point at whichthe commissures are affixed to the frame, as shown in FIG. 5. Comparedto previously-known designs, in the present invention the overalllengths of the coaptation edges are increased, while leaflets 22 coaptalong a shorter portion of those lengths. Several advantages arise fromthis design:

the leaflets require only minimal pressure to open and have a rapidclosing time.

the valve demonstrates better washing dynamics when open, i.e., lessturbulence along the free edges of the leaflets.

the valve provides a more uniform distribution of stresses along thecoaptation edges of leaflets 22.

the angle at which force is transmitted to the commissures is increased,thereby substantially reducing the horizontal forces applied to thecommissures that tend to pull the commissures away from the frame.

controlling the center of the height of coaptation allows thecommissures to be located proximal of the center of coaptation, therebyreducing the contracted delivery profile of the valve prosthesis.

All of the foregoing benefits are expected to reduce non-uniform loadsapplied to-the-valve body, and substantially enhance the durability ofthe valve prosthesis.

As will of course be apparent to one of skill in the art of prostheticvalve design, the assembly steps described above are merelyillustrative, and a different order of assembling the leaflets and skirtto form valve body 14 may be employed. In an alternative embodiment, aconventional sewing ring may be attached to valve body 14 and frame 12may be omitted. In this case, the valve prosthesis may be implantedsurgically, rather than by percutaneous transluminal delivery. In thiscase, commissures 24 may be attached to the ascending aorta by suturesor other means as described above.

Referring now to FIG. 6, implantation of valve prosthesis 10 of thepresent invention is described. As discussed above, valve prosthesispreferably comprises a self-expanding multilevel frame that may becompressed to a contracted delivery configuration, as depicted in FIG.3, onto an inner member of a delivery catheter. The valve prosthesis andinner member may then be loaded into a delivery sheath of conventionaldesign, e.g., having a diameter of less than 20-24 French. Due in partto the fact that commissures 24 are longitudinally offset from thecoaptation edges of the leaflets, and also due to the ability tocustomize the cell pattern along the length of the frame, it is expectedthat valve prosthesis may be designed to achieve a significantly smallerdelivery profile than previously-known percutaneously-deliverablereplacement valves.

The delivery catheter and valve prosthesis are then advanced in aretrograde manner through a cut-down to the femoral artery and into thepatient's descending aorta. The-catheter-then is advanced, underfluoroscopic guidance, over the aortic arch, through the ascending aortaand mid-way across the defective aortic valve. Once positioning of thecatheter is confirmed, the sheath of the delivery catheter may bewithdrawn proximally, thereby permitting the valve prosthesis toself-expand.

As the valve prosthesis expands, it traps leaflets LN of the patient'sdefective aortic valve against the valve annulus, retaining the nativevalve in a permanently open state. As further illustrated in FIG. 6,outflow section 15 of the valve prosthesis expands against and alignsthe prosthesis within the ascending aorta, while inflow section 16becomes anchored in the aortic annulus of the left ventricle, so thatskirt 21 reduces the risk of perivalvular leaks.

As also seen in FIG. 6, the deployed configuration of constrictionregion 17 holds valve body 14 in a superannular position, away from theheart walls, thereby ensuring that the constriction region expands tothe predetermined fixed diameter. This in turn ensures that the valvebody does not experience any unexpected lateral loads and thereforeexpands to its design diameter, e.g., illustratively either 22 or 24 mmas in Table 1 above.

Because outflow section 15 of frame 12 employs relatively larger cellsthan the remainder of the frame, valve prosthesis 10 does not disruptblood flow into coronary arteries CA when deployed, and also does notobstruct subsequent catheter access to the coronary arteries.Accordingly, a clinician may readily gain access to the coronaryarteries, for example, to perform angioplasty or stenting, simply bydirecting the angioplasty or stent delivery system guide wire throughthe openings in the cell pattern of frame 12.

While preferred embodiments of the invention are described above, itwill be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made. The appended claims are intended to cover allsuch changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit andscope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A valve prosthesis comprising: a valve bodycomprising three leaflets, each leaflet including: a body, a free edge,and enlarged lateral ends at either end of the free edge, whereinadjacent enlarged lateral ends of adjoining leaflets are sewn togetherto form commissures; and a self-expanding frame, the frame having aninflow section having a first row of cells in a circumferentiallyrepeating pattern, an outflow section having a second row of cells in acircumferentially repeating pattern and including an eyelet, and amiddle region between the inflow section and the outflow section,wherein the middle region is configured to avoid blocking blood flow tothe coronary arteries when the frame is implanted in a body, wherein thearea of individual cells in the first row of cells is less than the areaof individual cells in the second row of cells, wherein the framesupports the valve body, wherein the frame has a longitudinal axis,wherein the frame has a contracted delivery configuration and anexpanded deployed configuration, wherein, when the frame is in theexpanded deployed configuration, the outflow section diameter is largerthan the inflow section diameter, wherein each commissure spans a cellof the frame, wherein a plurality of cells of the frame are positionedbetween the cells spanned by commissures, wherein each free edge issuspended from the leaflet's commissures to define coaptation edges anda center of coaptation, and wherein the length of each free edge forms asubstantially continuous curve extending downwardly between therespective commissures so that the free edges of the leaflets generallydefine the shape of catenaries to substantially uniformly distributeloads over the leaflets.
 2. The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein theleaflets comprise porcine, bovine, equine or other mammalian pericardialtissue, synthetic material, or polymeric material.
 3. The valveprosthesis of claim 1, wherein the leaflets are sewn to a skirt atjoints, wherein the skirt is sewn to the inflow section of the frame,and wherein the joints are affixed to the frame to evenly distributeforces through the valve body to the frame.
 4. The valve prosthesis ofclaim 3, wherein the frame further comprises a cell pattern that definesa contour configured to support the joints.
 5. The valve prosthesis ofclaim 1, wherein the frame comprises a cell pattern defined by unequallength zig-zags.
 6. The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein thecommissures are affixed to the frame at a location proximal of thecenter of coaptation.
 7. The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein theadjacent enlarged lateral ends of adjoining leaflets span an entire areaof a cell.
 8. The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the inflowsection includes a first row of cells, wherein the outflow sectionincludes a second row of cells, and wherein the number of cells in thefirst row of cells is equal to the number of cells in the second row ofcells.
 9. The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the middle region andthe outflow section comprise a cell pattern that provides apre-determined radius of curvature for a transition from the middleregion to the outflow section when the frame is in the expanded deployedconfiguration.
 10. The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein a diameterof a constriction region is less than the inflow section diameter. 11.The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein the outflow section includesexactly three eyelets.
 12. The valve prosthesis of claim 1, wherein theframe includes four rows of cells.
 13. A valve prosthesis comprising: avalve body comprising three leaflets, each leaflet including a body, afree edge, and enlarged lateral ends at either end of the free edge,adjacent enlarged lateral ends of adjoining leaflets being sewn togetherto form commissures; and a self-expanding frame comprising a pluralityof cells, the frame having an inflow section, an outflow section, and amiddle region between the inflow section and the outflow section,wherein the middle region is configured to avoid blocking blood flow tothe coronary arteries when the frame is implanted in a body, wherein theframe supports the valve body, wherein the frame has a longitudinalaxis, wherein the frame has a contracted delivery configuration and anexpanded deployed configuration, wherein, when the frame is in theexpanded deployed configuration, the outflow section has a largerdiameter than the inflow section, wherein each commissure is configuredto span a cell of the frame to distribute force within the commissuresand to the frame, and wherein a plurality of cells of the frame arepositioned between the cells spanned by commissures, wherein each freeedge is suspended from the leaflet's commissures to define coaptationedges and a center of coaptation, and wherein the length of each freeedge forms a substantially continuous curve extending downwardly betweenthe respective commissures so that the free edges of the leafletsgenerally define the shape of catenaries to substantially uniformlydistribute loads over the leaflets.